2013 League Development Camps

Riding through the Mendocino Woodlands

The 2013 NorCal League Development Camp
This year’s camp was open to all skill levels of riders, and for those who came it was truly a memorable experience. The camp was held at the Mendocino Woodlands in the heart of the Mendocino coastal forest. As they approached the camp, the kids that commuted with the NorCal Staff were in awe of the location, as one kid was quoted as saying “this is going to be awesome.” When they arrived, it became apparent all of the kids were elated to be in such an amazing location, without even seeing the trails!

The week included many skills clinics, Bike Maintenance (on and off trail) with Brian Popplewell of Mike’s Bikes, Nutrition (pre and post race general endurance riding), Trail Advocacy (sustainability), Yoga and Bike Monkey CEO Carlos Perez’s discussion on following your passion (career choices). The kitchen staff included Chef Osel, a specialist in sports nutrition who prepped meals based on the riding output each day!

Riders and staff reported they were excited to ride some of the best single track they had ever ridden. A trail that stood out to those who rode through the Mendocino forest was the “Manly Gulch Trail”; everyone who rode this epic stretch of trail had smiles ear to ear. Conversations after every ride were about how “stoked” everyone was about the new sections of trail they rode! Every ride included a Ride Leader, Assistant Coach, Pro skills Instructor and a tour guide, and each ride on the trail included skills work. The feedback from all of the coaches indicated it was a huge hit.

Hitting the trails at the NorCal League Development Camp

To wrap up their week, they were visited by amazing pro riders who came up to Mendocino. Special thanks goes to Luna Chix, Pro Teal Stetson-Lee, Levi Leipheimer, Yuri Hauswald, GU Energy, Team Lost Coast Pro, Brian Astell, Team Lost Coast Pro, Nicole Garcia, Santa Cruz XFusion Pro’s, Colby Pastore, Riley Howard and Tony Smith for coming out to share their knowledge and experience. If this year is any indication, next year’s camp will be even more amazing!

The 2013 SoCal League Development Camp

Student-Athletes and Coaches at the 2013 SoCal Camp

The atmosphere at the inaugural SoCal League Development Camp was positive with everyone embracing the new experience! The student-athletes were full of energy, attentive and hungry to learn. Coaches were super stoked to be involved and enthusiastic to impart knowledge. The camp consisted of 32 student-athletes broken into 4 teams (including 9 girls) with two coaches each.

This year’s camp had a balanced combination of timed events, long rides, learning, andm fun! The three timed events included an uphill time trial, a rolling time trial, and a cross-country time trial. Participants enjoyed two long rides that included a lap of SoCal’s Power the Pinnacles race course (widely regarded as the ‘funnest’ course ever), and a flowy moto trail called Ballistic.

Ready to take on some courses at the 2013 SoCal League Development Camp

There was also a traditional technical single track called Little Bear which finished on a long shaded climb that topped out at the famous Cedar Glen Malt Shop. The camp also had several great guest speakers covering a range of topics related to mountain biking. To round out the week, an afternoon of fun was had at the pool and another at a beautiful private beach!

The camp consisted of great fun, food, riding, and coaches helping student-athletes set goals and learn how to succeed. After a successful first camp, the SoCal League will continue to refine all that they learned this year so that camp becomes a tradition for many years to come!

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